There are many cameras made by Leica in the past that has changed hands in auctions at prices going beyond the one million dollar mark. The Leica M Typ 240 designed by Apple’s Jony Ive and designer Marc Newson was auctioned last week by Sotheby’s for a whopping $1.8 million. This one off design has also become one of the world’s most expensive cameras. This is a rarest of the rare unit as only one piece was ever made and no other comparable piece exists. The final price of the camera far exceeded the pre sale estimate of $500,000 to $750,000.
The Money Raised at the Auction Went to a Charity Fund
The custom made camera’s main body is made from magnesium die-cast. The outer shell of the camera is crafted out of aluminum which has been perfectly milled and anodized. It features a lens with a fixed focal length. The program modes include aperture priority mode and manual setting mode. The rare camera became the second top grosser at the auction held for the benefit of the RED project. A unique white and red Steinway & Sons grand piano became the most expensive item at the auction as it fetched a marginally higher sum of $1.9 million. The total sum raised at the auction added up to $12.9 million and the entire amount will go directly to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Leica Holds the Record for Most Expensive Camera Ever Sold
The Ive/Newson-designed M 240 is the first digital camera to be auctioned off for such a high price. Leica also holds the record for the most expensive camera ever sold. It was an early 0-series model from 1923, and went for US$ 2.77 million. It went under the hammer last year during the 21st Westlicht auction. Leica was the company responsible for revolutionizing the way cameras were designed and made in the early part of the 20th century. They made it compact and portable which contributed in a big way in revolutionizing photo-journalism. There are many more rare Leica cameras in existence and they keep coming up at various auctions to create new records.
Via: imaging-resource
